Why I love my Kindle - even though I said I'd never buy an eReader!

I'm a hypocrite.  Three years ago I said I'd never buy an eReader.  I made five points about why that would never happen.  Guess what - I now have a Kindle!  I received it as a gift and I love it.  It hasn't replaced books, though...

Real books make up the majority of my reading at home.  This is mostly because my grandmother lends them to me by the stack!  The Kindle is perfect for travel.  It's smaller than even a single book; I often read multiple books per trip.  It's also great for borrowing library books.  More on that, below!

Here are my updated thoughts on those five anti-eReader points I made three years ago:

1. Money, Money, Money - My Kindle was a gift.  It came with a USB/wall charger and I bought a cover with a reading light.  It's been $0 to maintain it since then.
   
2. Technology Turnover - A number of new, updated devices have been released since I got my Kindle.  (Kindle Fire, anyone?)  However, my Kindle works just fine for reading.  I prefer the black and white text on the screen.  I'm sometimes envious of people who can view magazines in color, but if I wanted to do that, I have my iPad.  (And I haven't even done it on there.)  I'm hoping my Kindle will continue to be compatible for years to come!
   
3. Single Use - This is still true, and a con for the Kindle, especially when traveling.  Yes, my husband and I play Scrabble on it, but that's about it.  Despite being a single use device it is still easier for me to carry on the plane than a stack of books!  I read a lot and one book will usually not be enough to get me through a whole trip.
   
4. Reading as Therapy -I said that turning pages and seeing your progress is therapeutic.  I still think this is true and often crave a real book.  The Kindle does, however, show me the percentage of the book I have completed.
   
5. eReader Lending?  This point is still true for me.  90% of the books that I read are ones I borrow from my grandmother.  But eReader technology has come a long way since I wrote the original post back in 2010.  I can now borrow Kindle books from my library!  It's awesome - I browse for and reserve titles online, and then add them to my Kindle via Amazon.  It doesn't get much easier.  I'm currently reading Lean In (I was on a waiting list for two weeks) at no cost and with no trip to the library to pick up a physical copy.

So yes, I love my Kindle, but it hasn't replaced books yet.  I'm not making any predictions about that for the future!  I guess I'll have to check back in another three years to see what happens...

Why I Won't Buy an eReader

These are the top five reasons why I won't buy an eReader - at least not any time soon.

1. Money, Money, Money - First you buy the eReader, then you buy the accessories, and then you still buy the BOOKS?  The average Kindle book appears to cost about $9.99 on Amazon.com.  If I'm thrifty (and I am) I can get paperbacks for less than that.  Actually, I can get used books for $0.50 or $1.00 at the library.  But the thing is, I rarely buy books.  My grandmother lends them to me by the stack and when there's a specific title I want to read, I head to the library.  I can borrow almost any title I want - for free.
   
   
2. Technology Turnover - As with any piece of equipment in the early stages, development is rapid and new versions come out all the time.  This is one item I'm not willing to be an early adopter of.
   
   
3. Single Use - Other than the iPad, most eReaders are single-use electronic items, meaning that they are used to read books and periodicals and that's all, folks.  I have realized lately that I have too many small electronics - cell phone, two iPods, two digital cameras, video camera, GPS, laptop, etc. hanging around.  Toting them around with their respective cords, adapters, and cases is a hassle when traveling.  Do I want to add another to the bunch?  Not really...
   
   
4. Reading as Therapy - This may sound strange, but I read to relax and calm down.  Most often I read before bed, not because it's the only time I have, but because it helps me unwind and fall asleep.  I enjoy absently flipping the pages with my hand.  Observing the pages you've read pile up on the left-hand side of the book provides a feeling of accomplishment.  I enjoy sniffing the pages of an older book.  (I like the way a library smells too - call me crazy!)  Unless an eReader comes with "old book smell", like that "new car smell" spray you can buy, it's not for me.
   
   
5. eReader Lending? - I touched on this back in point #1.  Most of the books I read are borrwed.  Sometimes I borrow a book more than once; these are usually business-related or fiction that I want to read again.  (The only books I own are ones I read a million times, like Harry Potter or The Devil Wears Prada, or equine references.)  Could eReaders set up a lending system where after you finish reading a book, it disappears from your eReader?  If a flat fee to access to books in this manner were available, I might consider it.  Philip Berne mentions something similar in "How to Save the E-Reader" on SlashGear.

Image Credit:
Green Baby Guide.  http://greenbabyguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/library-books-300x224.jpg